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Liam’s Map’s Rushie Too Strong in Pat Day Mile

Rushie, third behind Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby June 6 and behind Art Collector (Bernardini) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland last out July 11, benefitted from a bit of class relief and cutback in distance to break through at the graded level.

Away in good order from the outside stall, the grey settled fifth early but worked his way up to third and deep as Vertical Threat (Tapiture) set the pace from a hard-held Tap It To Win. Coasting up outside those two nearing the stretch, Rushie was roused to the lead at the three-sixteenths and ran out a convincing winner.

“I had the perfect trip,” said winning rider Javier Castellano. “I was outside and took advantage of it. The way the race developed it was perfect, it was what I was looking for today. We sat two or three lengths off the pace and I kept track of those horses. When we turned for home, I asked him and the horse responded so well. I think the mile was perfect today for the horse. I’m glad we got it done.”

Rushie’s set of past performances is a who’s who of this year’s Triple Crown trail. He was a well-beaten sixth to Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) sprinting at Santa Anita last October, and resurfaced to graduate when stretched out to this distance (but around two turns) back in Arcadia Feb. 1. A distant second to brilliant ‘TDN Rising Star’ Charlatan (Speightstown) in a Mar. 14 optional claimer, he cleared his first-level allowance condition over GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. runner-up Candy Tycoon (Twirling Candy) at Oaklawn May 2 before his aforementioned graded tries, and had been under consideration for the GI Kentucky Derby.

“Part of me wanted to go with the Derby,” admitted trainer Mike McCarthy. “The horse was training well all along but I can’t thank the owners enough for supporting me. We ended up in the Pat Day Mile and were rewarded with a great effort. Hopefully this race sets us up for a solid fall campaign. I’m not sure which way we go from here. It’s been a long day and a tough day yesterday in the [GI Kentucky] Oaks [with fourth finisher Speech {Mr Speaker}], so we’re just going to savor this one and see what happens down the road.”

Pedigree Notes:
Rushie becomes the third graded stakes winner for second-crop sire Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song), who is also responsible for Thursday’s GIII Pocahontas S. runner-up Crazy Beautiful. He’s the first graded winner for Colonel John as a broodmare sire. Unraced dam Conquest Angel, a $300,000 OBS April grad and half-sister to Grade I-winning juvenile Peace and War (War Front), was carrying Rushie when she sold to Ocala Stud for $120,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November dispersal of Conquest Stables. Rushie is her first foal, and breezed in :21 3/5 at last year’s OBS March sale. Conquest Angel has an unraced 2-year-old filly by Uncaptured, a yearling filly by Jess’s Dream and a foal colt by Awesome Slew. She was bred back to Awesome Slew for 2021.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
PAT DAY MILE S. PRESENTED BY LG AND E AND KU-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 9-5, 3yo, 1m, 1:34.41, ft.
1–RUSHIE, 118, c, 3, by Liam’s Map
                1st Dam: Conquest Angel, by Colonel John
                2nd Dam: More Oats Please, by Smart Strike
                3rd Dam: Miss Yiayia, by Gilded Time
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($70,000
2yo ’19 OBSMAR). O-Jim & Donna Daniell; B-Ocala Stud (FL);
T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Javier Castellano. $303,800. Lifetime
Record: 7-3-1-2, $493,151. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sonneman, 118, c, 3, Curlin–Zardana (Brz), by Crimson Tide
(Ire). ($375,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald
and Donna Adam); B-Arnold Zetcher LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $98,000.
3–Tap It to Win, 118, r, 3, Tapit–Onepointhreekarats, by
Medaglia d’Oro. O-Live Oak Plantation; B-Live Oak Stud (FL);
T-Mark E. Casse. $49,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.90, 25.80, 3.50.
Also Ran: Shashashakemeup, Echo Town, Vertical Threat, Digital. Scratched: Cezanne, No Parole. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Lookin At Lucky’s Fancy Liquor Makes the Grade in American Turf

Fancy Liquor–who had employed a front-running or pressing style in each of his five prior starts–benefitted from a heady ride by red-hot Florent Geroux to pick up the pieces after a hot pace materialized.

Unhurried early from his outside draw, the dark bay sat fifth in the early going as a trio of rivals zipped away to duel through hot splits of :23.04, :46.48 and 1:11.23. Favored Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) shook free of his pace foes heading for home, but he was softened up for the stretch drive, and the first to tackle him was Fancy Liquor’s stablemate Field Pass. Fancy Liquor followed his stablemate’s move into the lane, and struck the front with a sixteenth to run. He briefly swapped back over to his wrong lead, but kept finding to hold safe a late bid from first-time-turfer Taishan.

“This horse seems to be still learning,” said Geroux, who won five on Friday including the GI Kentucky Oaks. “He broke really well but the horses in front of me were going really fast. He’s shown in the past he’s run well on the lead but he doesn’t necessarily have to have the lead. The race I rode aboard him at Keeneland (the Transylvania), he came from just off the pace and we got beat by Field Pass that day, but I know [Fancy Liquor] was still learning and getting better. Even back in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, where [Field Pass] beat us there, too, [Fancy Liquor] ran a really solid race.”

A narrow debut winner at Gulfstream in February, Fancy Liquor was third to Field Pass in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks six weeks later. Second in a local allowance June 11, he was beaten just a neck when third again behind Field Pass in the GIII Transylvania S. at Keeneland July 12, and came out on the right side of a bob in Indiana’s Caesars S. over yielding sod Aug. 12.

“I wasn’t expecting what we got, but it worked out. So I’m very pleased,” said first and third-finishing trainer Mike Maker. “Field Pass is a stakes winner over this course and didn’t quite run his race at Saratoga. Tyler [Gaffalione] didn’t feel like he handled the softer going today but still ran a good race. Flo said he was loaded, on the gallop out and everything.”

Pedigree Notes:
Fancy Liquor becomes the 36th graded winner for Lookin At Lucky, who also sired last year’s GI Kentucky Derby winner via DQ Country House. These connections campaigned Fancy Liquor’s dam, a speedy starter allowance type who competed mostly on turf and synthetic. She is the first mare by obscure stallion Secret Romeo, who stood in Michigan and Washington, to produce a graded winner. Brandys Secret’s 2-year-old filly Miss Eau de Vie (Commissioner) was fourth in her second start here on Tuesday. Brandys Secret has a yearling filly by Tamarkuz and was bred back to Lookin At Lucky for 2021.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
AMERICAN TURF S. PRESENTED BY SMITHFIELD-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 9-5, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.83, fm.
1–FANCY LIQUOR, 118, c, 3, by Lookin At Lucky
                1st Dam: Brandys Secret, by Secret Romeo
                2nd Dam: Money for Brandy, by Quiet Enjoyment
                3rd Dam: Monetary Shot, by Monetary Gift
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Skychai Racing LLC and Sand
Dollar Stable LLC; B-Hot Pink Stable & Skychai Racing LLC (KY);
T-Michael J. Maker; J-Florent Geroux. $303,800. Lifetime
Record: 6-3-1-2, $465,050. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for
   eNicks report and 5-cross pedigree.
2–Taishan, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Grace Phil, by
Philanthropist. ($22,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo ’19
OBSMAR). O-Calvin Nguyen & Joey Tran; B-Nursery Place,
Donaldson & Broadbent (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $98,000.
3–Field Pass, 120, c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid–Only Me, by Runaway
Groom. ($37,000 Ylg ’18 EASOCT). O-Three Diamonds Farm;
B-Mark Brown Grier (MD); T-Michael J. Maker. $49,000.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 4.80, 11.00, 1.90.
Also Ran: Smooth Like Strait, King Theo, Sugoi, American Butterfly. Scratched: Sunsation. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Put A Ring Around Speightstown’s Olympiad at the Spa

5th-Saratoga, $72,000, Msw, 9-5, 2yo, 7f, 1:22.78, ft.
OLYMPIAD (c, 2, Speightstown–Tokyo Time {GSP, $249,177}, by Medaglia d’Oro), off as the 2-1 chalk to improve on a distant debut third to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Reinvestment Risk (Upstart) Aug. 1, broke running and raced prominently from third and three off the inside just off an opening quarter-mile in :22.80. Traveling sweetly on the turn, the $700,000 Keeneland September yearling came calling for the lead in upper stretch and finished nicely to graduate by a little more than two. The second most-expensive of 38 of his outstanding sire’s progeny reported as sold in 2019, Olympiad is bred on a wildly successful cross over Medaglia d’Oro that has been responsible for Grade I winners Rock Fall and Competitionofideas. Another of Speightstown’s top-level winners, She’s Happy (Arg), was produced by a Sadler’s Wells mare. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Shirl’s Speight was produced by a daughter of Perfect Soul (Ire). A half-sister to multiple graded-stakes winner Hungry Island (More Than Ready) and GSW Soaring Empire (Empire Maker), Tokyo Time produced a filly by Quality Road in 2019 followed by a War Front filly this term. She was bred back to American Pharoah. Sales history: $700,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $48,240.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables, LLC and LNJ Foxwoods; B-Emory A. Hamilton (KY); T-William I. Mott.

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‘She Can Run All Day’: Civil Union Gets Up In Time To Win Glens Falls Stakes

A well-spotted charge by jockey Joel Rosario got Civil Union to the wire when she needed it to prevail in Saturday's Grade 2 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga.

The 5-year-old War Front mare stayed tucked in on the rail from the inside post, while Beau Belle took command early on from her immediate outside, followed by Lovely Lucky. Luis Saez kept a tight hold on Beau Belle as the field entered the stretch for the first time in an opening quarter-mile of :26.76 seconds.

The three horses that led the pack heading into the stretch remained in the same positions heading out of it, with Beau Belle continuing to maintain an unhurried pace after they cleared a half-mile in :53.22 seconds. Rosario continued to keep Civil Union within striking distance in the pocket behind the two leaders, and he continued to wait patiently as the field entered the final turn through a mile in 1:44.61.

Beau Belle and Lovely Lucky began to put some separation on the rest of the field in the final bend, with Lovely Lucky and Jose Lezcano beginning to lodge her own challenge in earnest. Those two drew even heading into the straightaway, which left the space behind them open for Rosario to take Civil Union off the rail and three-wide.

While Beau Belle and Lovely battled up front in the final eighth of a mile, Civil Union gradually gained ground on the outside, while a pair of French-bred Peter Brant-owned horses began to stage threats of their own – Eliade on the rail and post time favorite My Sister Nat on the far outside. After setting all of the pace, the lead duo could not withstand the momentum of the late movers, and Civil Union took command within the final sixteenth, drawing clear a few strides before the wire to win by a length.

My Sister Nat joined Civil Union's outside momentum to finish second, while Beau Belle hung on bravely to finish third, ahead of fellow front-runner Lovely Lucky in fourth.

Civil Union completed the 1 3/8-mile turf race in 2:19.80 over Saratoga's firm inner turf course. She paid $6.50 to win as the field's second choice, and the win marked her first paring with Rosario in the saddle.

The winner raced as a homebred for Joseph Allen, and she was trained by Shug McGaughey.

Civil Union is a generational home-grown winner for Allen, who bred her dam, the unraced Unbridled's Song mare Photograph, campaigned second dam Black Speck as a homebred, and raced her third dam the Grade 1 winner Andover Way.

On the sire's side, War Front also raced as an Allen homebred, and has developed into one of North America's top commercial sires. He also campaigned War Front's dam, Starry Dreamer.

With Saturday's victory, Civil Union improved her lifetime record to four wins in seven career starts, with earnings of $451,672. This is her first career graded stakes victory, and her second overall stakes win, having come into a race off a victory in the listed River Memories Stakes at Belmont Park.

To view the race's chart, click here.

G2 Glens Falls Quotes – Courtesy of the NYRA Press Office

Shug McGaughey, winning trainer of Civil Union (No. 1, $6.50): “I think she can run all day. When she won the River Memories [July 12 at Belmont], she really punched hard from the eighth pole to the wire and she did the same thing today. It looks like when you ask her to go on and finish, she has it in her.

“I liked where we were behind the slow pace. I have a lot of confidence in Joel and I knew he knew where he was.

“She's trained very well since the end of Belmont and I thought she'd run well today. I was a little worried about the turf, but [it worked out]. I had a filly a few years ago named Apple Betty and she won the River Memories and I ran her back in the Waya and she finished fourth, so I said I wasn't going to do that with this filly. She's trained very well the whole time we've been up here.

Joel Rosario, winning jockey aboard Civil Union (No. 1): “She was moving really well but she took a little time coming out of the last turn and getting a hold of the turf. But as soon as I straightened her out, she was moving forward and from that point I was really confident.

“It was a slow pace but I was right there and just trying to keep my position. I knew the horses in front were going very easy and I thought with the slow pace they might keep going, but I was there. My horse was right there and she made everything easy for me.”

Jose Ortiz, jockey aboard runner-up My Sister Nat (No. 4): “She's got no speed at all. She broke a little weird and there was nothing I could do. The pace was very slow. I knew Tommy's [trainer Albertrani] horses [No. 2, Beau Belle; and No. 3. Lovely Lucky] both had speed. I couldn't really make a middle move, so I saved as much ground as I could and she gave me a great run turning for home.”

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